Durham students boycott bars and clubs amid spiking fears

Venues are being warned that they have a duty of care to those on the premises

Students in Durham are holding a one night boycott of clubs and bars in the city, calling for more to be done to keep women safe on nights out.

The event has been organised in tandem with universities around the country, following a number of recent reports of both drink and needle spiking.

Anecdotal evidence suggests there have been dozens recently in Durham.

Durham Police has urged anyone who believes they may have been spiked to report the incident.

Hala Heenan, junior common president at St Chad's College and one of the organisers of the Durham event, said: "We want [bars and clubs] to look at the fact that they have a duty of care for anyone who comes into their venues.

"We want them to be able to train their staff better, specifically for spiking incidents, so they are better aware, acting with compassion, but also first aid training so they are better able to deal with such incidents."

'Pockets checked'

Some of the venues have already taken additional measures to prevent spiking.

David Bullock, from Jimmy Allen's nightclub, said: "We've now got drinks caps, we've got extra security inside and outside the bar.

"As you enter you are now searched, we check pockets, wallets and handbags before you are allowed in the building."

An unverified report compiled by students at Durham University said more than 160 people believed they had their drinks spiked over a two-week period at the start of this term.

Durham Police said there had been no reports of injection spiking.

The university said in a statement: "Students have reported concerns to us about drink spiking on nights out and we take this very seriously."